Button fastener



Jan. 11, 1938. G. A. ROBBINS 2,104,885

BUTTON FASTENER Filed Sept. 17, 1936 AM. .M I?

25 5| 2a 25 Mg. 5. 25 X m 50 1 19. 7. 26 2 24 22 GEORGE A.ROBB|NS W I/GZJIMJ (Ittomeg j Patented fan. H, 193% W s rs horror: FASTENER- George A. Robbins, Hillier Township, ox

Cmllmty, M6 v Application September 17, 1936, SerialNo. 101,287

'6 Ciaixms.

This invention relates more particularly to button fasteners.

An object of the invention is to provide improvedmeans for quickly and economically securing buttons to garments or other articles without the tedious operation of sewing them on with a needle and thread as is common. An-

other object of the invention is to provide an improved, elastic fastening for a button. Other '10 objects will appear from the disclosure herein.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, the features of novelty being finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing l5 Figure 1 illustrates in edge view one form of the fastener according to the invention made in a string of them.

Fig. 2 illustrates a fastener such as shown in Fig. 1 securing the button to a piece of fabric,

tlie button being shown in section.

Fig. 3 illustrates in elevation another form of the fastener.

' Fig. 4 illustrates the application of the fastener shown in Fig. 3 to secure a button.

. Fig. 5 shows still another form of button fastener in a string, one of the bases shown partly in section. V r

Fig. 6 illustrates the fastener shown in Fig. 5 applied to secure a button to a piece of fabric.

30 Fig. 7 illustrates another form of the fastener, parts of a second one shown as attached thereto.

Fig. 8 illustrates the fastener of Fig. 7 as connecting a button to a piece offabric.

Fig. 9 illustrates in elevation a button made 35 of the same material as is the-fastening means.

the upper and smaller base of .which extends a tapering pin-like portion I5. The frusto-conical 50 enlargement is made of greater diameter-than the hole of the button through which hole it is to be passed by stretching in securing the button. Fig. 1 illustrates two and a fraction of the fasteners made in a chain, string or gate. These 5 fasteners are made of fairly soft rubber-and can be molded in a suitable mold, either singly or in strings and clipped off at their connections in the latter case one at a time when to be used. The rubber is soft but sufiiciently hard to permit its insertion through a preformed hole in 5 any fabric upon which a button is to be fastened.

In Fig. 2 the fastener of Fig. 1 is shown as receiving a button it of ordinary form but of hard material provided with a single central opening countersunk, as shown at it at its outer end. 10 In applying the fastener in this instance the fabric is, if necessary, pierced first with any suitably pointed awl-like tool and then the pinlil're portionl5 and enlargement passed through the fabric and the hole of the button. When this has been accomplished the pin-like portion i 5 is clipped off with a pair of scissors leaving the enlargement I 4 in position to'secure the button to the fabric sufliciently for all practical purposes. In all cases the portion l3 andits analogue is made short enough to be stretched when applied'to the button so as yieldingly to hold the button close to the fabric.

Buttons are commonly made with two or four 7 .holes. In Figs. 1 and 2 the button is shown as a one hole button. In factories where large numbers of buttons are used one hole buttons can be ordered when my fastening, as shown in Figs.

1 and 2, is to be employed.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a fastener according to my invention for use in connection with either a two-hole or a four-hole button. The tying member, as shown in Fig. 3, consists of the portion between the letters a and b the fastener to be clipped from a string at said points a and b. In Fig. 4 the button proper is designated 11 and the base to which the button is to be fastened is designated I 8. The base in this instance is shown with two holes to aline with the two holes of the button used. In applymg the button in this case the fabric can be first punctured through a pair of alined holes of the button and base and then the rubber pinlike threading members 20 extended through the alined holes of the button, fabric and base until the frusto-conical portion 2| is seated in the countersink of the hole in the base portion and, after this, the opposite threading pin-like member pressed through the other similarly staple-like securing member of soft rubber And ing the button to the fabric and base as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 is shown a base 22 having projecting therefrom the threading member including a stem 23, a frusto-conical enlarged locking portion 24 and pin-like portion 25 corresponding in form and material to similar parts in Fig. 1, except that the stem portion 23 is longer than in said Fig. 1. The base 22 in Fig. 5 is provided with an orifice 26 having a countersink at its outer portion. In applying this construction to fasten a two-hole button as illustrated in Fig. 6 the structure 23, 24 and 25 is first passed up through the fabric to which the button 21 is to be attached, then through one hole of the button and thence down through the alined holes on the button, the fabric and base with'sufiicient pull to squeeze the frustoconical portion 24 into locking engagement with the countersink of the orifice in the base member 22. When said locking engagement has been effected the pin-like end is clipped off with a pair of scissors.

In Fig. 7 the base 30 is shown as. provided with a pair of the fastening devices 3!, 36, such as shown inFig. 1 molded with the base 30. In the application of the device shown in said Fig. 7 the two fastening devices are forced or pulled up through the fabric and the two holes in the button as shown inv Fig. 8 until the frusto-conical projections of the fastening devices are engaged with the countersunk portion of said holes, as illustrated in Fig. '8, the pin-like portions being clipped off with scissors as before.

In Fig. 9 the button 36 is shown as made of rubber and provided with the stem 3'6, frustoconical locking enlargement 38 and the pin-like member 39. In said construction the structure or fastening member 3'I39 is inserted through a hole in the fabric and the base 40 and stretched until the frusto-conical anchoring member 38 is seated in the countersink, as shown in Fig. 10,

after whichthe projecting pin-like portion is cl pped off with a pair .of scissors.

It will be observed that in all the instances because the larger base of the frusto-conical anchoring enlargement becomes seated on the shoulder of the countersink, the resistance of withdrawal of the anchoring effect is great and the button and base held securely although yieldingly together. The yielding connection is advantageous to allow for thickness of cloth containing the button hole.

In view of the construction shown in Fig. 10 it is obvious that all the parts herein referred to as a base can be used as a button-and termed a button and all the parts referred to as a button can be used as a baseand termed a base.

Where both the button and the base are made of rubber much trouble and annoyance are avoided due to the fact that such device can be put through a laundry wringer without breaking them.

Any approved methodcan beemployed in manufacturing the parts and as beforeindicated they can be molded singly or in a string or series, the parts being cutoff and applied to the article desired as needed either primarily or by way of re pair. 1

If the rubber be too flexible to permit the pinlike ends of the fastening member to be shoved .members having an orifice counter-sunk at one through the fabric and the base or button, a bodkin, such as shown at M in Fig. 11, saidbodkin consisting of a hollow cone of steel or other metal, is applied to said pin-like member to give the necessary stiffness to penetrate and accompany 5 the rubber portions to the position necessary to permit the fastening desired. I

The forms and dimensions of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed. 1

What I claim is:

1. A button assembly comprising a buttonlike base member and a-button member, one of said members having an orifice and the other having afiixed thereto a stem, said stem. lying in said 1 orifice and having integral therewith an enlarged portion, said enlarged portion being resilient and elastic whereby it may be compressed by said orifice and then threaded therethrough into anchoring engagement with the member containing said 20 ing affixed thereto a flexible and resilient stem 25 of soft rubber, said stem having therein and integral therewith an enlarged portion and a pinlike guiding extension of rubber beyond said enlarged portion, said enlarged portion and said stem, passing through said orifice andadapted to be pulled into anchoring engagement with the orifice of the other member.

. 3. A button assembly comprising a button-like base member and a button member, one of said end, and the other having a stem of soft rubber, said stem including therein and integral therewith an enlarged portion, said stem and its enlargement being of soft rubber, said enlarged portion adapted to be pulled into anchoring engagement with the counter-sink of said orifice.

4. A button assembly comprising a button member and a button-like holding member having a stem ofsoft rubber, one of said members having an orifice, said stem including therein'an enlarged portion and a pin-like guiding extension beyond said enlarged portion, said enlarged portion and said guiding extension being receivable by said orifice and adapted to be pulled into anchoring engagement with said orifice in the held member.

5. A button assembly comprising a button member having an orifice, and a button-like base member, a stem member on the base member for engaging the orifice oi the button member, said stem member having an anchoring enlargement for engaging the button member, and a pin-like guiding portion beyond said anchoring enlargement, said stem member and enlargementbeing integral and of soft rubber whereby the said guiding portion can be clipped from the stem member.

6. Meansfor fastening a button member to a.

button-like base member including a pair of stem of soft rubber.

, GEORGE A. ROBBINS. 

